Campgrounds and RV parks near McArthur, OH

Water recreation centers on two small lakes. Lake Hope's 120-acre lake allows hand-powered and electric-motor-only boats, with canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, pedal boats, and pontoons for rent in spring, summer, and fall. Lake Alma follows the same electric-motor-only rule on its lake, with a similar rental fleet and a lakeside walking and bike path. On land, Zaleski State Forest carries the Selinde Roosenburg Backpack Trail with a main loop near 29 miles, roughly 30 to 50 miles of bridle trails, and the historic Moonville Tunnel along the Moonville Rail Trail. Lake Hope also holds more than 25 miles of mountain-biking singletrack across eight trails. Hocking Hills State Park sits within an easy day-trip drive north for cliff scenery and waterfalls. Anglers target bluegill, largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish on Lake Hope and Lake Alma.

The main camping season runs from spring through fall, though several options operate year-round. Lake Hope State Park Campground is open year-round, and a portion of the campground with both electric and non-electric sites remains open through winter. Lake Alma also stays open in some form all year, though bathhouse and boat-rental availability tracks the warm months. Spring brings wildflowers and steady rain, with trails often muddy and creeks running high. Summer is the busy stretch, when lake rentals, the Stone Terrace Restaurant at Lake Hope, and family programming are all active; weekend sites near the water fill early. Fall delivers reliable color in the hardwood ridges of Zaleski State Forest and cooler nights that suit RV travel. Hunting seasons shape access to Zaleski's rustic camps. The Atkinson Ridge Hunters Camp is operational one day before the start of squirrel season until one day after the close of grouse season, and again for 14 days before spring wild turkey season through the day after it ends. Only licensed hunters may camp there.

Terrain around McArthur is rugged and heavily forested, with steep gorges and narrow ridges typical of southeast Ohio's unglaciated plateau. Roads into Lake Hope and Zaleski are winding two-lanes; larger rigs should plan routes carefully and read site dimensions before booking. At Lake Hope, expect heated showerhouses with flush toilets, pit latrines and potable water spigots, an RV dump station, laundry, and a general store selling firewood and supplies. Lake Alma offers full-hookup and electric sites and a newer shower house, but sites are compact and packed closely together, with limited room for the largest motorhomes. Zaleski's forest camps are primitive: latrines, picnic tables, fire rings, and hitching posts at the Horse Camp, with no hookups. Cell coverage is spotty across the forest, so download maps in advance.